Durham Reporter

A church of mostly African immigrants in East Durham has been hit with an $87,000 property tax bill from the county, even though it's supposed to be exempt from taxes as a religious institution.

"I'm here to preach, not fight about buildings," the Rev. Johannes Gumbo of Shepherd's House United Methodist Church told ABC 11 News. "This is just crazy."

There was some communication between the pastor and the county attorney, but nothing was figured out between the two.

After the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, communication with the Durham County Tax Office became nearly impossible. "There was no one to answer us. You write a letter, you call, nothing," Gumbo said, according to ABC 11.

The problem now is that state law prevents the tax office from giving the church a retroactive tax exemption this long after the taxes were due.

Shepherd's House was given the church building at the corner of Main and Driver Streets in 2008 by the previous congregation. The tax dispute started after the church officially purchased the property in 2018 in the name of Shepherd's House.  

The church needed to fill out a form requesting a tax exemption, but it has failed to do so, Durham County told ABC 11.

"Shepherd's House was sent at least two separate notices of the need to file the tax-exemption form," Brian Wardell from the county attorney's office told ABC 11. "And either they didn't understand or didn't  have the proper advice."

The dispute will likely be decided in an appeal before the North Carolina Property Tax Commission.